UAlbany baseball streaking into America East Tournament

Great Danes have won nine straight, two shy of school record

University at Albany baseball is one of the hottest teams in the country entering the America East Tournament that begins today.

The Great Danes (28-21) have won nine straight games, which is tied for the third-longest active winning streak in Division I. The school record is 11 consecutive victories.

Head coach Jon Mueller, a Stillwater native, was asked how much that momentum is worth as UAlbany chases its first America East championship since 2007.

"There's another saying I've heard before that you're momentum is only as good as the guy you start on the mound, your starting pitching,'' Mueller said.

If that's the case, second-seeded UAlbany appears to be set up well for its tournament opener against tournament host Binghamton at 2:30 p.m. in Vestal. It's a six-team, double-elimination tournament.

Great Danes senior right-hander Dominic Savino (2.69 earned-run average) won the final two America East Pitcher of the Week awards in the regular season. He was named first-team all-conference on Tuesday, along with junior shortstop Nick Kondo of Saratoga Springs and junior closer Joe Kruszka.

"(Savino) has been unreal,'' Kondo said. "Dom's really getting hot at the right time and we always knew what he's capable of and it's starting to show. He's starting to stretch out his innings a little longer and he just kind of walks about with that swagger."

The entire team has reason to play with confidence. The Great Danes were 15-19 a month ago after losing two of three at Stony Brook. Since then, they've won 13 of 15 and nine straight to surge into the No. 2 seed and receive a bye through the first day of the tournament.

Mueller won America East Coach of the Year for presiding over the turnaround.

Either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed has won the tournament eight times in the past 10 years.

"We're certainly in a better spot than we've been in since they went to the new format (in 2016),'' Mueller said. "Getting the bye means we get to throw our No. 1 guy against somebody's No. 2. Savino's a senior who's been to the tournament, who's won in the tournament."

UAlbany will catch one break on Thursday. The Great Danes won't have to face third-seeded Binghamton's Ben Anderson, a Shenendehowa graduate and the America East Pitcher of the Year. He pitched a complete game in the victory over Hartford on Wednesday.

Mueller said he felt the Great Danes lost some games earlier this season they could have won. Then he made one key move by shifting Kondo from second base to shortstop. Kondo is hitting a team-high .330.

"We got everybody into the roles that they should be in,'' Mueller said. "And we have some really good starting pitching."

Ray Weber (7-2, 3.64) has established himself as the No. 2 starter after missing last year with an injury, and Burnt Hills graduate John Clayton (6-3) is a reliable No. 3.

Junior center fielder Marc Wangenstein provides the muscle in UAlbany's lineup with team highs of eight homers and 50 RBIs.

Kondo said UAlbany's strong finish sets up the team well for the tournament. The Great Danes swept a doubleheader from Hartford on the final day of the regular season to lock up the No. 2 seed and the bye. It's the team's highest seeding since 2012.

"They were kind of similar to playoff games because we controlled our own destiny and they were kind of must-win games if you wanted to get that bye,'' he said. "The way the tournament is set up, that bye is really, really important. It will save us on pitching and stuff."

UAlbany's Jon Mueller of Stillwater won America East Coach of the Year. (Bill Ziskin/UAlbany athletics)

UAlbany's Jon Mueller of Stillwater won America East Coach of the Year. (Bill Ziskin/UAlbany athletics)

Photo: Bill Ziskin/UAlbany Athletics

Photo: Bill Ziskin/UAlbany Athletics

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UAlbany's Jon Mueller of Stillwater won America East Coach of the Year. (Bill Ziskin/UAlbany athletics)

UAlbany's Jon Mueller of Stillwater won America East Coach of the Year. (Bill Ziskin/UAlbany athletics)

Photo: Bill Ziskin/UAlbany Athletics

UAlbany baseball streaking into America East Tournament

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Mueller pointed out it's been 12 years since UAlbany baseball went to its only NCAA Tournament, while the school has gone more regularly in other sports.

"The last few years, we were happy to get in (to the conference tournament),'' Mueller said. "I think this year will be a little more of a disappointment if we don't finish the job for the guys and the staff."